Summertime and the Living is Creative!

One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by.
~Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle

Not only do we have more light to read by, but think of all the other creative things we can do with the longer days! We have lots of new classes in the latter-half of June that you'll love to try. Pamela Kearns has a new way to bust your bead stash by beading round a cord. Iris Rogers Melamed has a new metalsmithing class for metalwork lovers. Wireworkers will enjoy learning a new wire wrapping project with Jen Rosen and Marilyn Gardiner has two new chainmaille projects for you. If you've taken Jewellery Making 101 or know the very basics of jewellery making, then Pamela Kearns will help you add some design options in Jewellery Making 201. Christine Woollacott is teaching granulation - a new and (she says) easy technique you'll be amazed at. Cavandoli students will step their skills with a new pendant design from Angela Peace and seed beader Sureka Sriharan has a new beaded bead design that features SuperDuos. Of course, there are lots of returning and encore classes for your enjoyment too!

I'm trying something new with this posting. Clicking on the title of the class will link you to the specific class page on our website (it will open in a new window) so you can quickly see more about the class. Let me know what you think. Is it helpful? It is a nuisance? Does it make a difference? Thanks!

Please note: our air conditioning is now on and we strongly recommend that you bring a sweater or wrap for classes and open sessions in the classroom.

Here are the classes scheduled June 16 - 30:

Thursday, June 16
NEW That's a Wrap! Beading Around a Core
Instructor: Pamela Kearns
5:00 - 9:00pm

Open Studio: Mixed Media Evening

Facilitator: Anne Marie Desaulniers

6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, June 17
Cavandoli Knotting Jumpstart
Instructor: Angela Peace
6:00 - 9:00pm

Stamp! Stamp! Stamp!

Instructor: Kelly Garland

6:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday, June 18
NEW Metalsmith Essentials: Introduction to Foldforming
Instructor: Iris Rogers Melamed
10:00am - 4:30pm

NEW Wire Wrapping: Waves Ring

Instructor: Jen Rosen

11:00am - 2:00pm

Sunday, May 19
NEW Butterfly Necklace
Instructor: Marilyn Gardiner
9:30am - 4:30pm

Moving Metal: Creating Multi-Dimensional Forms

Instructor: Kelly Garland

11:00am - 5:00pm

NEW Celtic Maze Bracelet
Instructor: Marilyn Gardiner
1:30 - 4:30pm

Thursday, June 23
NEW Jewellery Making 201
Instructor: Pamela Kearns
6:00 - 9:00pm

Open Metal Studio: Hot and Cold Connections

Facilitator: Iris Rogers Melamed

6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, June 24
Open Metal Studio: Metalwork
Facilitator: Cindy Goldrick
5:00 - 8:00pm

Crystal Intelligence 101

Instructor: Sylvia Diveky

6:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday, June 25
Etched Pendant
Instructor: Cindy Goldrick
10:00am - 1:00pm

Introduction to Lampworking, Part B

Instructor: Amy Waldman

10:00am - 2:30pm

(class continues Sunday, June 26; 11:30am - 4:00pm)

Hot Forged Bronze Bracelet
Instructor: Cindy Goldrick
2:00 - 5:00pm

Sunday, June 26
NEW Introduction to Granulation
Instructor: Christine Woollacott
11:00am - 5:00pm

NEW Double Leaf Pendant

Instructor: Angela Peace

11:30am - 4:30pm

Thursday, June 30
NEW Kiss Me Beaded Bead
Instructor: Sureka Sriharan
6:00 - 9:00pm

For complete information on all classes and open sessions, please go to our website. Click on 'Classes' and follow the links to the June class calendar.

Bring your projects and join us at our FREE open beading sessions! 

Wednesday, June 22
Wednesday, June 29
Open Bead Night
Facilitators: Bonnie Cottingham, Pamela Kearns or Malliga Nathan
6:00 - 8:00pm

Thursday, June 16

Thursday, June 23

Thursday, June 30

Afternoon Bead Tea

Facilitator: Pamela Kearns

1:00 - 3:00pm

We are pleased to offer these FREE sessions; however we request that you use our merchandise in our facility. Thank you.

February Classes Will Make You'Leap' for Joy!

Yes, 2016 is a leap year where we get to add one more day to the calendar! Leap Years are needed to keep our modern day Gregorian Calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. Did you know, it takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days – or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds – to circle once around the Sun. However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a day on February 29 nearly every 4 years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After only 100 years, our calendar would be off by approximately 24 days!

So, what does that have to do with jewellery making? Absolutely nothing - except you have an extra day to work on your project!

We have quite a few NEW class projects during the last half of February including a new knotted project and a new soutache project with Angela Peace. Deborah Beesley brings us a new wire bracelet that showcases stone chips and Pamela Kearns will answer all of your questions about RAW and CRAW at a boot camp! Jen Rosen as a brand new wire wrapping class and Maria Rypan combines seedbeads and the new Honeycomb beads in a new netted collar. Anne Marie Desaulniers brings a new mixed media class. Learn how to use metal clay in Sue Henry's new class and you'll learn how to incorporate Egyptian Spiral Links in Jane Doidge's new project! So, how do you keep your studio tools looking and working great? Kelly Garland will show you! Plus, there are lots of encore classes as well as open sessions for your enjoyment.

Here are the classes scheduled February 16 - 29:

Tuesday, February 16
NEW Knotted Everyday Bracelet
Instructor: Angela Peace
12:30 - 3:30pm

Thursday, February 18
NEW Tangled Chips Bracelet
Instructor: Deborah Beesley
6:00 - 9:00pm

Open Studio: Mixed Media Evening

Facilitator: Anne Marie Desaulniers

6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, February 19
NEW The Art of Jewellery Tool Maintenance
Instructor: Kelly Garland
6:00 - 8:00pm

Saturday, February 20
NEW Right-Angle Weave/Cubic Right-Angle Weave Boot Camp
Instructor: Pamela Kearns
10:00am - 5:00pm

Hot Connections: Bangles

Instructor: Iris Rogers Melamed

10:30 - 4:30pm

Sunday, February 21
NEW Wire Wrapping: Arrowhead Pendant
Instructor: Jen Rosen
12:00 - 3:00pm

Resin: A Mixed-Up Media Approach

Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers

11:00am - 5:00pm

Tuesday, February 23
NEW Honeycomb Netted Collar
Instructor: Maria Rypan
2:00 - 5:00pm

Thursday, February 25
Infinitely Herringbone Bracelet
Instructor: Pamela Kearns
6:00 - 9:00pm

NEW Timeless Treasures 1: Epoxy Clay with a Mixed Media Twist

Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers

6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, February 26
Open Metal Studio: Metalwork
Facilitator: Cindy Goldrick
5:00 - 8:00pm

NEW Soutache Bead Embroidery: Loops and Layers

Instructor: Angela Peace

5:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday, February 27
Exploring New Enamelling Techniques
Instructor: Cindy Goldrick
10:00am - 1:00pm

Intro to Lampworking, Part B

Instructor: Amy Waldman

10:00 - 2:30pm (continues Sunday, February 28; 11:30am - 4:00pm)

Cellini Spiral Bracelet
Instructor: Bonni Poch
11:00am - 2:00pm

Painting with Fire on Metal: Create a Storybook Pendant

Instructor: Cindy Goldrick

2:00 - 5:00pm

Sunday, February 28
NEW Metal Clay Bird House in Bronze Prometheus Clay
Instructor: Sue Henry
11:30am - 3:30pm

NEW Variations on Egyptian Spiral Bracelet

Instructor: Jane Doidge

12:00 - 3:00pm

Complete information about each class, including course descriptions and applicable fees, is on our website. Click on 'Classes' and follow the links to the February calendar.

Bring your projects and join us at our FREE open beading sessions!

Wednesday, February 17
Wednesday, February 24
Open Bead Night
Facilitators: Bonnie Cottingham, Pamela Kearns or Malliga Nathan
6:00 - 8:00pm

Thursday, February 18

Thursday, February25

Afternoon Bead Tea

Facilitator: Pamela Kearns

1:00 - 3:00pm

We are pleased to offer these FREE sessions; however we request that you use our merchandise in our facility. Thank you.

Discovering more about: Soldering Sterling Silver

Bangles

What is soldering? Soldering is simply joining two (or more) pieces of metal together using an alloy of that metal, called solder. An alloy (a combination of the metal plus another metal) is used because the goal is to flow (or melt) the solder before the piece melts. While there are other methods to connect pieces of metal, soldering is the most precise and, if done properly, leaves no mark on the piece soldered.

Iris Rogers Melamed has developed a series of ‘Hot Connections’ classes exclusively for BeadFX, taking students from the basics of soldering through more advanced techniques. Each class has projects that both teach and result in great pieces of jewellery!

Double Dome Metal Beads

Iris also incorporates other metalsmithing skills such as sawing, piercing and filing into the curriculum. Sterling silver is the main metal used for projects especially in the introductory classes, but other base metals, such as copper, are included in the “Mixed Metals” classes.

“The Hot Connections 1: Intro to Soldering class offers a great foundation and understanding of soldering”, says Iris. “Many students come into their first class intimidated by the whole process and uneasy about using a torch. Once they realize that everything is explained and demonstrated in a logical manner they start to relax and enjoy themselves. As I say many times, this is really a hands-on class – my hands on yours guiding when needed.”

Bezel-set Ring

There is a strong emphasis on safety in Iris’ classes, not only for using the torches and tools in the studio, but also for setting up an in-home soldering station.

“Once you master the basics of soldering,” adds Iris, “a whole new world of jewellery making opens up. One of the reasons I teach is seeing the thrill the students have when they have successfully soldered their pieces.”

After taking the Hot Connections 1 class, students progress to Hot Connections: Bangles and then on to the other classes. Other projects include the Spinner Ring, the Interlocking Ring, Double Dome Metal Beads; and Bezel Set Rings and Pendants expand the students' skills even more.

Mixed Metals

Iris has added a weekday afternoon Hot Connections 1: Intro to Soldering class to the February schedule. “Not everyone is available on the weekends; I want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take the class. If there is a demand for weekday classes we will schedule them.”

In addition to her classes, Iris also leads Open Metal Studio: Soldering sessions where her soldering students can bring in projects to work on and get advice and tips.  It’s important to note that the Open Metal Studios are not classes - students must have taken Hot Connections 1. The open sessions are ideal for those who are unable to set up a home soldering station or who want a little extra guidance.

Upcoming sessions with Iris Rogers Melamed:

Thursday, February 19

Hot Connections 1: Intro to Soldering Afternoon Session! 

12:00 - 4:00pm

Open Metal Studio: Soldering

6:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday, February 28

Hot Connections: Spinner Ring

10:30am - 4:30pm

 

Saturday, March 7
Hot Connections: Interlocking Rings
10:30am - 5:00pm

Saturday, March 14
Hot Connections: Connecting Components
10:00am - 5:00pm   

For complete details about each class, including class and kit fees, please refer to the website.